Automobile governor



VOLT5 May 4, 1937. J. w. HoRxNE 2,079,015

AUTOMOBILE GOVERNOR Filed Deo. l5, 1955 2 sheets-Sheet 1 May 4, 1937. J.w. `HORINE l 2,079,016

AUTOMOBILE GOVERNOR Filed Dec. 15, 1955 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 gmc/rm 0 /o 2o5o. 4o 5o so MILES PER HDL/P Patented May 4, 1937 UNITED STATES' PATENTOFFICE AUTOMOBILE GOVERNOR I John w. norme; Wilmington, nel. ApplicationDecember 13, 1935, serial No. 54,343

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electrically operated speed regulators ingeneral; and particularly, to an electrically operated speed regulatorfor internal combustion engines and other power developing and powerutilizing units, to prevent the operation of such engines or unitsbeyond a predetermined speed. l

vT'he main object of the invention is to provide a means for regulatingor controlling the maximum speed of operation of an internal combustionengine or similar device, by a system of electrical devices whichinvolve a minimum of extra equipment for the engine, but which areadapted for operation when the engine reaches a l5 predeterminedmaximumspeed to eiect a stoppage in the further operation of the engine, andtoprevent operation of the engine at any time in excess of a selectedmaximum speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of thecharacter described which can be sealed by proper authorities in suchposition as to prevent the operation of an internal combustion engine,or an automobile driven thereby, beyond a lawful predetermined maximumSpeed.

l internal combustion engine, such as is commonly Figure 3 is afragmentary elevation of the set-r ting mechanism for predetermining themaximum speed of operation of the engine provided with 4o thisattachment;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic lay-out of the apparatus as applied to theair intake of the internal combustion engine under control;

,n Figure 5 is a speed-voltage diagram relating to the speed controlmechanism illustrated in Figures l to 4;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic lay-out illustrating another form of theinvention; and

Figure 7 is a speed-voltage diagram relating l'to the lay-out shown inFigure 6.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar parts are designated by likenumerals:

The invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings comprises acontrol box 8 suitably secured to the chassis C` in position to controlthe operation of a choke valve forming part of the carburetor 9connected to the intake mani'- fold I0 of an internal combustion enginedesignated generally by the reference character E.

The choke valve Ile see Figure 4) is pivoted in the air intake is of thecarburetor; and, has its pivot pin I3 extended through the intake to besecured to a chokeoperating lever I4. The lever I4 is pivoted at one ofits ends to one end of a link I5, the other end of which is pivoted bymeans 1of the eyelet I5' secured to the upper end of a solenoid plungerarranged within the solenoid Winding II.

The other end of the lever I4 has a stud I8 mounted `to rotate thereonabout `an axis perpendicular tol the lever I4. The stud I8 is bored toreceive slidably a manually operable choke rod I9. A collar 2li,slidable on the end of the choke rod I 9 where it projects through thebore of the rotatable pivot I8, may be secured in adjusted position on,said rod by means of a set screw 2|. The object of this construction isto permit manual control, through the rod I9, of vthe choke at alltimes, without interferingl with the automatic operation of the chokevalve II- by the solenoid mechanism. A tension spring 22 has one of itsends secured to the top 23 of the solenoid framework, and has its otherend secured to the choke lever I4 at a point so located as to hold thelever I4 in position to maintain the .choke valve II normally open.

One end of the solenoid lI'I is connected by a wire 24 to a terminal 25,and wire 26 through the switch 26 to the battery B. The other end of thesolenoid I1 is connected by a wire 21 to a contact screw 28 which in'turn, is connected by a wire 29 to a contact screw 30 adjustable on asupporting bracket 30 fixed to but insulated from the grounded baseplate 3l. The contact 30 is positioned in the path of movement of aspring armature 32, suitably secured at one end to an angle bracket 33iixed to the grounded base plate 3|. It will be apparent from Figure 4of the drawings that the armature 32 is constructed so as to be normallyheld with its free end in yielding contact with the adjustable contact30.

An eleotromagnet 3'4 is suitably secured to the base plate 3l inposition tO have its core 35 attract the 'armature 32 from contactclosing position, whenever the aforesaid magnet is energized by acurrent suiiciently strong to overcome the resistance offer/ed by thespring construction of the armature. The magnet 34] is grounded at oneof its terminals by means of the Wires 36 and 36' connected to theground contact screw 31. The

valve il.

other terminal of the electromagnet 34 is connected by a wire 33 to oneterminal 39 of an adjustable selector rheostat designated generally bythe reference character R.

The rheostat R is cf the well-known type including an annular resistancecoil 40 over which the free end d of a selector arm 4i is adapted bemoved in yielding contact therewith. The arm 4i is pivoted to rotateabout a pivot 42 extending upwardly from the center of the base of therheostat, and is adapted to be held in angularly adjusted position onthe pivot 42 by means of the set screw 43. The pivot 42 is in conductingContact with the arm 4i and also with the bar 44 extending radially fromthe pivot 42 into conducting contact with the other terminal 45 of therheostat coil 40.

The terminal 45 of the rheostat is connected by a wire 4E to the exciterterminal 41 of a generator G forming part of the mechanism of theinternal combustion engine. The other terminal 48 of the generator isconnected by a wire 49 through the cutout 50 to the ungrounded side ofthe battery B.

The speed control mechanism as so far described, is operated by currentderived from an automobile generator, and is dependent for its controloperations upon the characteristics of a generator of this type. Thediagram shown in Figure illustrates a characteristic speed-voltage curveof such a generator, the speed being in miles per hour of the car, andthe voltage that from the third or exciter brush 41 of the generator toground. In connection with the description of this form of theinvention, the word voltage refers to this third brush to groundvoltage.

Let:

Re :Speed relay magnet coil resistance.

Re :Speed selector rheostat resistance, S M. P.

H. setting.

R45=Speed selector rheostat resistance, 45 M.

P. H. setting.

V5 :Third brush voltage at S M. P. H.

V45=Third brush voltage at 45 M. P. H.

I4n=Current in coil of speed relay at 40 M. P. H.

I45=Current in coil of speed relay at 45 M.

Ir :Current in coil of speed relay when armature e is released.

Ia :Current in coil of speed relay when armature e is attracted.

i :Current in coil of speed relay at any given instant.

v :Third brush voltage at any given instant.

Let us assume that the speed selector rheostat R is set for chokeclosing operation at 45 miles per hour. Then, the operation of this formof the invention, is as follows:

Closing the ignition switch 26 causes current to fiow from the battery Bthrough the solenoid il, wires 21, 28 and 29, contact 30 and armature 32to ground; thereby causing the plunger IB to be sucked into the solenoidand close the choke This initial closing of the choke valve assists instarting the engine. After the engine has started, the generatorexcitation .voltage builds up to about four volts (see Figure 5) causingthe magnet 34 of the speed relay to attract the armature 32, and therebybreak the circuit through the solenoid Il. This break in the circuitpermits the spring to effect opening of the choke valve ii.

Assuming, now, that the car is accelerated: then, so long as the speedof the car is lower than 45 miles per hour, the generator voltage causesenough current to flow through the magnet 34 to attract armature 32 andbreak the circuit through the solenoid. ln this condition the current atany given instant is always greater than when the armature is in circuitclosing position.

The speed selector rheostat R is set at such resistance R45, that whenthe voltage decreases to the value of l2 volts, the current through themagnet 34 is too weak to hold the armature 32 away from the contact 29.The circuit through the solenoid il is then closed and causes the chokevalve i l to move into closed position. The closing of the choke valveat the selected speed (in this instance, 45 miles per hour) slows downthe motor and prevents the car attaining any speed in excess of thepredetermined maximum of 45 miles per hour.

The air gap between the armature 32 and the magnet 34 is so proportionedthat the car must decelerate to a speed approximately 5 miles an hourbelow thc setting of the relay R, before increase in generatorexcitation voltage will again cause a current to flow through the magnet34 suiicient to attract the armature 32 and break the circuit.

In general, at any given speed S, this speed governor acts to close thechoke valve in accordance with the equation,

Similarly, the governor acts so as to release and open the choke valvein accordance with the equation,

The resistance of the wiring is assumed to be negligible.

The governor, then, can be set to operate at any speed from 20 to 65miles an hour by properly proportioning the amount of resistance of therheostat R which is inserted into the circiut of the magnet in the speedrelay.

The shaft 42 of the rheostat R extends through the control box 8 and hasa handle 50 secured to the end thereof. A flange 5i projects from thebase of the handle 50, and is provided with a series of holes 52, eachof which is adapted to register with a hole 53 formed in a clip 54suitably flxed to the control box 3. Any suitable sealing means 55 canbe used to lock the handle 5U and the rheostat arm 4l, in any positioncorresponding to the maximum speed desired. The openings 52 may beconsidered as graduations reading against an index 56 on the wall of box.8, to assist in setting the relay for any desired maximum speed.

The foregoing description covers the operation of the governor as shownin Figures 1 to 5. If the governor is to be actuated by a. smallauxiliary generator or exciter, operating upon a rising voltagecharacteristic with increase of speed, the contacts of speed relay arearranged to be closed instead of opened by armature when attracted bythe magnet, and resistance is added to the circuit' of speed relayinstead of cut out in order to obtain governor action at higher speed.

As shown in Figure 6, the choke valve operating mechanism is the same asin the form of the invention described above, and the parts thereof aredesignated by the same reference numerals. One terminal of the solenoidVIT is connected by a wire 51, through the ignition switch 58 with thebattery, and the ileld 59 of the auxiliary generator 60 is connected tothe solenoid side of the ignition switch 58 and thence to the batterywhen the switch is closed. The car generator 6I is connected through thecut-out 62 by wire 63 to the wire 51.

The speed relay, in this form, comprises the electromagnet 6l arrangedto attract, when energized, the spring armature 65 which is suitablymounted and grounded on the support 66. When the armature B is attractedtoward the magnet 64, a contact 61 on the armature closes the circuitthrough the solenoid l1 by means of the contact 68 at the end of a wire69 connected to the other terminal of the solenoid.

The selector rheostat R' is the same, structurally, as the rheostat R;and has one terminal connected by a wire 'Il to a terminal of theelectromagnet 64. The other terminal 12 of the rheostat is connected bywiring 13, through the auxiliary generator 60, to the other terminal ofthe magnet 64.

In this second form of the invention, the choke operating solenoid isoperated only when the current'through the auxiliary generator hasincreased suillciently to energize the ,magnet 64 to close the contacts61 and 68. In other words,

this i'orm of the invention becomes operative only when the engineattains the speed for which the selector rheostat is set.

In the rst form, ythe solenoid is operated at the start and also at theselected maximum speed. Howeveruit is possible, in the ilrst form, toeliminate the automatic closing of the choke between the time when theswitch is closed and the engine catches", by taking the feed for thesolenoid from the generator side of the generator cut-out.

In this specification and claims appended hereto, the device isdescribed as operating the choke valve of an internal combustion engine.However, it must be understood that the invention is not limited to usewith the choke valve, since it is capable of being applied to theoperation of the gas intake valve. It is to be understood that theinvention is not to be considered in any way as limited to the precisedetails of construction described herein, nor limited in any other wayexcept as indicated in the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of an internal combustion motor having valvemechanism movable to control the operation thereof and having means forholding said mechanism normally in inoperative position, with agenerator geared to r`aid motor, and means operated by said generator tomove and hold said mechanism in operative position against theresistance of said holding means during the generation of current fromzero to a predetermined value, and means operated by current in excessof said value to release said mechanism.

2. The combination with the normally open choke valve of an internalcombustion motor, of a generator geared to said motor, a cut-outconnected to one of the terminals of said generator, a solenoid havingone terminal connected through said cut-out to said terminal, and havingits other terminal grounded, a plunger in said solenoid, operatingmechanism connecting the plunger to said choke'valve, yielding means forholding said mechanism normally in position L)to hold said valve openand the plunger withdrawn from the solenoid when deenergized, and meansoperated by said generator to energize said solenoid during thegeneration of current from zero to a predetermined value, and meansoperated by current in excess of said value to deenergize said solenoid.y

JOHN W. HORINE.

